THOMAS WENTWORTH, 1ST EARL OF STRAFFORD
(Thomas Wentworth)
1st Earl of Strafford. Although Strafford was a terrible ruler of Ireland and was hated by most, he did stimulate the development of the linen trade for which Ireland later became so famous. Most rulers of the time were not that interested in economic development, but he was. Holland and France were then the leaders in producing fine linen. Globalization was even then a factor in international trade. Strafford took advantage of the fertile lands of Ireland, and the abundant supply of cheap labor to import the finest Dutch seed and have Ireland plant thousands of acres of linen flax. He invested his own money also in order to get the industry started, and although the first production were viewed as cheap imitations of Dutch and French linen, soon the creativity and industry of the Irish produced an even better product and Ireland became the world leader of linen production.
1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, KG was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1640 he was Lord Deputy of Ireland, where he established a strong authoritarian rule. Recalled to England, he became a leading advisor to the King, attempting to strengthen the royal position against Parliament. When Parliament condemned Wentworth to death, Charles reluctantly signed the death warrant and Wentworth was executed.
